High-flying Wayamba take on improving Warriors

Saturday, September 11
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)

Big Picture

The Champions League, for some reason, has grouped all the champion sides in one group, and the runners-up in another. The best sides from India, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand make up Group A, while Guyana are the only champion team in Group B. On the face of it, Group A should produce cricket of a higher quality. Wayamba Elevens and Eastern Cape Warriors begin the fun in this competitive group on Saturday.

The two sides have taken different routes to qualification. Wayamba are easily the most dominant T20 side in Sri Lanka, with a wealth of talent in Mahela Jayawardene, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welegedara. After having bossed the league stages of the SLC Inter-provincial Twenty20, they thrashed Ruhuna by a whopping 95 runs in the final. Jayawardene alone scored 91, which was only 22 less than the opposition's total.

Warriors, on the other hand, were the last of the six franchises in South Africa to win any trophy, despite the occasional presence of big players like Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Ashwell Prince, Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje and Rusty Theron. When they did win one, though, there was no stopping them. Less than two months after they won their first 40-over title, they sealed the domestic 20-over crown too. Six months later, they are vying for the big one.

Watch out for...

Mark Boucher struck a hurricane eight-ball 27 in the domestic final against the Lions at the same venue. Unlike Kallis, he has not been poached by their IPL side, Royal Challengers Bangalore, for this Champions League.

Ajantha Mendis might not be the mystery he was in 2008, but he is still a terror for batsmen who haven't faced him before. Especially if those batsmen are not traditionally good against spin.

Key contests

Mahela Jayawardene v Makhaya Ntini Jayawardene is relishing his new role of opening the innings, both in Twenty20s and ODIs. He has scored centuries in the World Twenty20 and the IPL, and missed out on one in the Sri Lankan domestic final. Ntini, no longer in favour for the national side, should be more than a handful in home conditions, setting up a good contest at the top of the innings.

Stats and trivia

• Jeevantha Kalatunga's unbeaten 62-ball 104 against Kandurata is the highest individual Twenty20 score in Sri Lanka, and the fastest century in the country.

Quotes

"We have seen a lot of footage of them. But then again it's Twent20 cricket. It's about individuals turning up on the day and performing."
Mahela Jayawardene says Wayamba have done their homework on the Warriors

"We are one of the few teams that has played CLT20 before, and that experience will be to our benefit."
Jehan Mubarak believes past experience in the Champions League can be useful